Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to protective headgear. More particularly, to improved headgear for equestrian use. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a protective headgear having the profile of a cowboy hat and the protective functionality of an equestrian helmet.
Background Information
Headgear or helmets are becoming increasingly prevalent in equestrian riding. There is evidence that the use of ASTM/SEI certified helmets save lives and reduce injuries. Many equestrian organizations require the use of helmets. The States of Florida and New York have passed legislation requiring the wearing of helmets for riding. In 2009, the State of Florida mandated helmets for youths under the age of 16. New York has had helmet laws affecting youths under the age of 14 since 1999. The United States Equestrian Foundation (USEF) requires that in classes that mandate a helmet to be worn, that helmet must be ASTM/SEI certified.
However, these helmets are typically the English style that is shunned by Western style riders. The iconic look, fit, and practical sun and rain protection offered by the American cowboy hat still permeates the culture of Western riders. It is common for children to wear these English style helmets while under the supervision of their parents and guardians. As their age, skill, and independence increases, the Western style riders become more concerned with style and emulating the Western rodeo riders who continue to wear a traditional cowboy hat. They abandon their helmets and wear cowboy hats, disregarding their safety and lives, just to maintain this Western tradition.
The cowboy hat, or “western-style hat,” is a high-crowned, wide brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today's cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in construction and design since the first one was created in 1865 by J. B. Stetson. It is worn by many people and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the Western and Southern United States, Western Canada, and Northern Mexico. It is also popular among country-western singers and North American rodeo participants. It is recognized around the world as part of Old West lore. The shape of a cowboy hat's crown and brim are often modified by the wearer for fashion and to offer better protection against the elements. It is an item of apparel that can be worn in any corner of the world and receive immediate recognition as part of North American cowboy culture.
There have been a few attempts to make a cowboy hat to fit over an equestrian helmet. Troxel, introduced the Western Hat Helmet in 2008. Through the development process, Troxel learned that the helmet portion of the Western hat system could not be made substantially thinner nor smaller and still pass ASTM/SEI certification, even with the most advanced and innovative materials available. This posed a significant challenge as the thickness of the helmet caused the Western hat to look significantly larger when compared to a traditional cowboy hat. As a result, the Western Hat Helmet was not accepted by the equestrian market and has since been discontinued.
One other attempt to provide a western inspired riding helmet is identified in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/833,826, filed on Aug. 24, 2015, and claiming the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/041,244, filed on Aug. 25, 2014, entitled “RIDING HELMET WITH VARIABLE THICKNESS IMPACT ABSORBING MATERIAL PROVIDING IMPROVED APPEARANCE” (hereinafter the P-2994 application). The P-2994 application provides a riding helmet having variable thicknesses impact absorbing material providing improved aesthetics with more natural proportions while providing required impact protection. The front and rear of a riding helmet have an interior impact absorbing material that is thicker than an interior impact absorbing material of the opposing sides. Additional impact absorbing material is placed exteriorly on the opposing sides of the riding helmet to provide additional impact protection. In another embodiment, the brim of the riding helmet provides additional impact protection. The exterior impact absorbing material provides impact protection while maintaining the aesthetics and proportions of a riding helmet, and especially a Western style riding helmet. More particularly, the P-2994 application has an internal protective member entirely within a dome portion of a hardened outer protective shell. The P-2994 application includes small protective members, or concha, located exterior the protective shell in spaced apartment increments and sometimes attached to a hatband.
One disadvantage apparent in the P-2994 application is that the outer protective shell resembling a hat (but remarkably is not a regular western hat) is larger than a traditional western-style hat. For example, the entire shell of the application has to be enlarged to provide sufficient coverage for the internal protective member. Notably, the internal protective member varies in thickness at certain locations relative to the wearer's head. For example, the thickness of the internal protective member is thicker at the front and rear portion of the shell and thinner at the left and right side of the shell.
One exemplary need that exists to solve the short-comings of the P-2994 application is that riders want to wear a regular store-bought conventional cowboy hat. Riders want to outfit/convert a store-bought hat into a helmet or piece of protective headgear that can provide sufficient protection and meet ASTM/SEI safety standards.